Tag Archives: Android

The New ‘Pixel Fold’ Is Not For I — & It Is NOT Sour Grapes.

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by Anura Guruge
on May 12, 2023

Click to ENLARGE. From ‘Google Store‘.

No, it is NOT the price, though I will readily confess that $1,800 does give one pause. But, given the trade-in I would get for my ‘Pixel 7 Pro‘ I could get it for around $1,000 which is not that different to what the ‘Pixel 7 Pro’ cost when I bought it (though I also had a trade-in for that).

It has ALL to do with how I use MY phone.

As some of you know I MAINLY (like 97% of the time) use my phone to take photos. That is it. My phone, these days, is MY camera.

I am NOT big into phone calls or TXTs. So, I can go for days, maybe even weeks, without EVER having use my phone as a phone! That is I.

I also don’t do e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, banking, etc. on my phone. Do those on my BIG, dual-monitor desktop PC. I also happen to have THREE 10.2″ Android tablets.

So, the Pixel Fold is neither here nor there for I.

IF it was 6.7″ when folded (i.e., same size as my 7 Pro) I would consider it.

Plus, they are saying battery life will not be as good as on the 7 Pro. That is not good. With the 7 Pro I get a day’s worth even when I am using it, extensively, to take pictures. A shorter battery life will make life more difficult.

So, for NOW, I am taking a pass on the Pixel Fold.

I Had To Install The ‘Jetpack’ Mobile APP On My Android Phone Because The ‘WordPress’ APP Stopped Working!

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by Anura Guruge
on January 9, 2023

Click to ENLARGE. An e-mail I got AFTER I switched.

I only used the WordPress APP on my phone to check Stats. I do all of my WordPress blog postings, updates & maintenance from my desktop PC. So, I don’t really use the WP APP that much.

For the last few days, everytime I opened the WP APP, I would get a pop-up from ‘Jetpack’ telling me to install the Jetpack APP. I had no idea that this was not a recommendation — BUT a COMMAND. I had ignored the request because the WP APP was working & gave me the Stats I sought.

But then tonight the Stats stopped working on the WP APP!

Having dealt with WP for over 20-years I kind of had a hunch. They have disabled Stats to force me to install Jetpack. I WAS, alas, RIGHT!

The above e-mail confirms that.

I installed the Jetpack APP & BINGO I had my Stats again. Even without being told I uninstalled the WP APP.

So, that is the story.

IF you use the WP APP look into this. The Jetpack APP is supposed to work whether you have Jetpack on your Website/blog or NOT.

If The ‘Audible’ APP Keeps Causing ‘Android’ To Crash.

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by Anura Guruge
on November 20, 2022

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Click to ENLARGE.

If you Google this you will find a LOT of good, valid suggestions — many of which might actually work. But, you are likely to find that it is going to be a trial & error — i.e., try this, then that, & maybe this — process.

I found, over the weekend, that the quickest & easiest solution was to UNINSTALL the APP & then get a fresh copy. Yes, you will have to download the books you had previously downloaded. That is not a bad thing either. That is the 1st step that most other potential fixes recommends. This way, rather than screwing around, just start again.

I found that it was really quite easy. Took minutes. Just a suggestion. You do not have to resort to this, if you don’t like the sound of it. SMILE. No problem. I am all set, thank you.

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Volvo XC60 (2022 ): Satellite View In Google Maps & A Compass Of Sorts With Version 2.2 Of Software — BUT Blind Spot Detection NOT Working!

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by Anura Guruge
on August 26, 2022

Click images to ENLARGE.

Notice COMPASS on right (2nd circle) with the RED arrow pointing North (correctly).

Yes, yes, I know. 2.2 has been available for over a month now, but yesterday was the first day that I had the time to take it to a dealership to have it downloaded. You cannot get it ‘Over the Air’ (OTA) for XC60 B5 models! {Yes, so much for Volvo’s prior promises about OTA updates.} Please also note that 2.2 has a LONG & disturbing list of KNOWN (possible) PROBLEMS — including this gem: ‘System performance might be slow‘! Today’s Volvo is but a sad joke — but the joke is on us the stupid suckers that bought 2022 Volvos.

I did NOT know that satellite view was finally there. Happen to see it, under settings, when I invoked maps. It looked updated, so I hit settings & BINGO, a on/off slider for satellite view. That is cool.

You also get this TEMPORARY display (mode) with the compass IF you tap on the screen. I have NOT worked out how to keep that mode on permanently. It reverts back to the non-compass mode after a ‘few seconds’. DAMN. The compass works.

I haven’t had time time to discover what else has changed. I did notice the “a stored pressure-message after the update” per the notes for software version 2.1 (which was also installed).

6 hours AFTER the update I was driving back home on I-95. It was 6:30. I-95 was busy. I was in the middle lane. I had traffic on both lanes on either side. That is when I noticed that my passenger side Blind Spot Detection WAS NOT WORKING. Driver side working like a champ. Could be just a coincidence.

I thought you were supposed to get a WARNING message if the sensors died. No warning message. I spoke with the dealership today. They are going to look into it. I will take it in — a FEW WEEKS from now! I don’t have time to take this car back & forth to the dealership which is 90-minutes away.

OK. More later if I see additional stuff. Hope this helps.

I Finally Got ‘Android 13’ On My ‘Pixel 6 Pro’ After 4-Days Of Trying.

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by Anura Guruge
on August 19, 2022

Click to ENLARGE. On my ‘Pixel 6 Pro‘.

On Tuesday of this week (i.e., August 16, 2022) I read on ‘Google News‘ that ‘Android 13‘ was being sent out to Pixel phones. I, as a ‘Pixel 6 Pro‘ owner, thought I would get it fairly quickly. WRONG! I was checking 4 to 6 times a day with no joy. Nothing. NADA. I was getting slightly worried.

Then today, on the 4th try, I finally got the notification that I had an update. Wow. Hurrah! Well, as of then it was a piece of cake. The update didn’t take that long.

I used to get Android updates quite quickly, i.e., soon after it was released. Then I realized that I have a NEW Pixel 6 Pro — i.e., one that I only got on June 28, 2022 after I cracked the screen on the 6 Pro I had bought at Christmas 2021. I guess the updates are sent out in serial number order. I don’t know for sure. Just a supposition. If so, it would make sense. Newer the phone, later the update.

But for now I am just happy that I finally got Android 13. I am NOT, by a long chalk, a power user when it comes to Android or mobile phones. So, I have not noticed any changes, improvements or problems. But, I will be vigilant. Stay tuned.

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‘May 5, 2022’ Android 12 Update For Google Pixel 6s Seems To Have Improved Battery Life.

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by Anura Guruge
on May 4, 2022

Click to ENLARGE. On my ‘Pixel 6 Pro‘.

As I posted yesterday I got the May 2022 Android 12 update yesterday — thought it is dated ‘May 5, 2022’.

I could be wrong, but since I had that update at around 9:30am yesterday I have noticed that my battery life — with me making NO other changes — appears to have improved slightly. So, last night rather than seeing ‘remaining’ at around 45% I saw 50%. Again, this could have been a one day anomaly. Today, early on in the day, I had noticed that it was holding onto the 100% longer than it had done previously.

I will, of course, monitor this & if I see anything worth reporting I will, of course, share it with you.

All the best.

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I Already Have The ‘May 5, 2022’ Android 12 Update Installed On My Google Pixel 6 Pro.

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by Anura Guruge
on May 3, 2022

Click to ENLARGE. On my ‘Pixel 6 Pro‘.

I had seen last night that the Android 12 May 2022 was available for the new Pixels, such as my Pixel 6 Pro. So, this morning I checked. It started downloading right away. Cool. Two days ahead of schedule. Installed fine — maybe a tad quicker than the last few monthly updates.

So, I thought I will let you know. You should try updating. If you have a Pixel 5 or 6 it should be ready for download.

All the best.

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V. Confused As To Why Google Is Pushing TIGHT ‘Fitbit’ Integration With Its New ‘Wear OS’ Pixel Smartwatch.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 20, 2022

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Click to ENLARGE. From ‘Google’.

Of course I know that Google bought ‘Fitbit‘ & that Fitbit has a very impressive 31 million user base. But, that doesn’t mean that the FLAGSHIP ‘Wear OS‘ watch should have tight Fitbit integration. That is the tail wagging the dog. That is not how it should be.

There should, of course, be a migration & data import facility FROM Fitbit to Wear OS.

If I get the Pixel watch (which I am sure to), I want to use just Wear OS & Google FIT. Yes, having owned Fitbits in the past I do have a Fitbit account. But there is no way I want to use that Fitbit account with my new Wear OS Pixel watch.

I want full, tight, seamless integration with Google, Android & my Pixel 6 Pro phone. Period. That is what it is supposed to be all about. The Google Android ecosystem across both watch & phone. No Fitbit.

So, I am not happy right now. But, we will wait & see.

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2022 Volvo XC60: Version 2.00 (OTA) Update, Just Announced, Looks TOO GOOD To Be True.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 4, 2022

Click to ENLARGE. Annotated from an e-mail I received.
Click to ENLARGE. This was what I am at, as of Feb. 26, 2022, after having the update installed by a dealer.

WOW. WOW. WOW. It just looks too good to be true. Can it really be so?

Volvo actually going to release a MUCH-NEEDED Android update to fix all the myriad of bugs. Nah. Can’t be true. Volvo has lied, cheated & deceived us for too long — like 9-months, when it comes to the XC60, Google & Android.

With the last OTA update, i.e., 1.8, I had to wait 18 days between the e-mail & the update. I expect that it will take as long as that, if not longer, for this update to come OTA.

I am going to call a dealer later this week to see if I can take the car in next week to get the update installed by them rather than wait, forever, for the OTA.

I will, of course, keep you updated of my progress & woes. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. I need it. This bloody Volvo XC60 is the BANE of my life.

I Finally Got The March 2022 ‘Android 12’ UPDATE For My ‘Pixel 6 Pro’ On March 26.

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by Anura Guruge
on March 27, 2022

Click to ENLARGE. On my ‘Pixel 6 Pro‘.

I had read on ‘Google News’ that the March 2022 Android 12 update for Pixel 6s & Pixel 6 Pros had been delayed — supposedly to include some new features for the new phones. Given my curiosity I did check for updates around March 6 & 7. Sure enough, Nada.

Then, yesterday (i.e., March 26) morning I read that the update was finally available for Pixel 6s. Later on that day I tried. BINGO. Yes, there were some new features, none of which were of interest to I. But, at least, I now have the March 2022 update.

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